Although the “found footage” genre — movies that assume the premise of being real videos filmed by the characters, as opposed to a formally composed narrative — has been around since the '80s, the last few years have seen a tremendous rise in both its diversity and number. With the wide availability of video technology, it has become easier than ever to experience horror stories from the first-person point of view.
What makes these films so appealing is their characteristic rawness. We have been trained as movie viewers to react in a certain way to formal lighting, framing, acting and so forth. In contrast, candid YouTube videos or homemade cell phone movies evoke an entirely different, more immediate feeling. To increase the realism of the footage, techniques such as “shaky cam” and the use of unknown actors are often employed.
The Origins of the Species
The first found footage horror movie is widely acknowledged to be the 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato. It tells the story of a documentary crew that goes to the Amazon and attempts to make a film about a cannibalistic indigenous tribe. This footage is contained in the larger story of an anthropologist who finds the film and provides it to the audience.
The film is remarkable not just for its unique fake-documentary presentation but also for the way it uses the found footage structure as a metaphor. The anthropologist who finds the tape is disgusted by the graphic violence of the footage, acting as a stand-in for the audience. The movie accuses the viewer of being as complicit in the violence as the sensationalist TV studio who wants to air the documentary.
The Trend Continues
Although Cannibal Holocaust was the first example of found footage, the trend did not really take off until 1999’s The Blair Witch Project. This story, which featured student filmmakers finding themselves lost in the woods with an unearthly presence, was a smash hit. It made nearly $250 million worldwide and spawned countless imitations and parodies.
The year 2007 brought two more immensely profitable examples of the genre, Paranormal Activity and REC. The first tells the story of a couple who sets up a camera in their haunted house. The second is told from the point of view of a news crew who seeks to cover the outbreak of a deadly disease in an isolated apartment building.
Found Footage Films in the Future
No matter how technology changes through the years, putting the viewer in the POV of the victim will always be effective filmmaking. The loaded-down documentary crew smoking Marlboros can be replaced by a group of teens equipped with cell phone cameras and ecigs, but the terrifying result will always be the same. So for your next movie night, pop in one of these titles and prepare to step into the victim’s shoes!
About the author:
Michael is a full-time blogger and horror movie fan who has passions in all corners of the online world. In his down time he enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and blogging on everything from technology, to business, to marketing, and beyond.
